Stop Abuse For Everyone (SAFE) ‘overwhelmed’ by strong turnout of supporters from across Devon

Women, men and children danced in the streets of Exeter as part of an international campaign to stamp out domestic abuse.

Sidmouth Zumba instructor Johanna Morgan led the flashmob protest on Saturday, February 18, in support of the One Billion Rising event which aims to bring an end to violence against women and raise awareness of a global issue.

Campaign group Stop Abuse For Everyone (SAFE) hosted the dance demonstration and was ‘overwhelmed’ by the amount of people who turned out to join in and offer support on the day.

Johanna, of JM DanceFit, said: “Around 45 members from the adult and children’s classes joined together with people from the local community to support the international One Billion Rising event.

“Our team was thrilled that the flashmob dance was such a huge success and helped to create awareness for the campaign against abuse.”

The international campaign started in 2012 and is described as the biggest mass action to end domestic abuse. It is estimated that one in three women or girls are victims of domestic abuse, which equates to one billion worldwide.

A spokesman for SAFE said: “We were overwhelmed with the amount of people who turned up to take part in the flashmob dance and those that came to watch.

“Johanna did an absolutely fantastic job of teaching many women, men and children from all over Devon the dance steps to the One Billion Rising theme tune ‘Break The Chain’.

“All the dancers wore red and they definitely caught the attention of shoppers and people passing by. We would like to thank everyone who took part in the flashmob dance and to our fabulous volunteers with a special thanks to Kyle Baker our photographer who also volunteered his time and talent.”